The most remarkable exception to the general reticence occurs in the survey for Middlesex, the compilers of which go out of their way fortunately to give precisely the desired information. And wherever they do so the holdings are found to be in the now familiar grades of hides, half-hides, virgates, and half-virgates. The following are a few examples:-- (F. 127 _a._)--_Hesa._ The priest holds 1 hide. 3 milites hold 6½ hides. 2 villani hold 2 hides. [_i.e._ a hide each]. 12 villani hold 6 hides. [_i.e._ ½ hide each]. 20 villani hold 5 hides. [_i.e._ ¼ hide each, or virgate]. 40 villani hold 5 hides. [_i.e._ ⅛ hide each, or ½ virgate]. 16 villani hold 2 hides. [_i.e._ ⅛ hide each, or ½ virgate]. [p093] (F. 128 _a._)--_In Villa ubi sedet Æcclesia Sti. Petri_ (_Westminster_). 9 villani each of a virgate. 1 villanus of 1 hide. 9 villani each of ½ virgate. 1 cotarius of 5 acres. 41 cotarii with gardens. (F. 128 _b._)--_Hermodesworde._ 1 miles holds 2 hides. 2 villani hold 1 hide each. 2 villani of 1 hide (_i.e._ ½ hide each). 14 villani each of 1 virgate. 6 villani each of ½ " 6 bordarii each of 5 acres. 7 cotarii. 6 servi. And so on throughout the survey for the county. As might be expected, most of the villani held virgates and half-virgates, but there are a sufficient number of cases of hides and half-hides to show conclusively the relation to each other of the four grades in the regular hierarchy of villenage. «Examples in Herts.» Another local and solitary exception occurs in the record for _Sawbridgeworth_, in Hertfordshire. The holdings in this case were as follows:-- (F. 139 _b._)--_Sabrixteworde._ The præpositus holds a ½ hide. The priest holds 1 hide. 14 villani hold each 1½ virgate. 35 villani hold each ½ virgate, and among them 1½ virgate with 9 acres, paying 17s. 4½d. 46 bordarii hold each 8 acres. 2 bordarii hold 10 acres (_i.e._ 5 acres each). 20 cotarii hold 26 acres (_i.e._ among them). A few other exceptional cases occur in the [p094] _Liber Eliensis_. The abbey had three manors in Hertfordshire, and in these the holdings were as follows: (P. 509–10.)--IN OEDWINESTREU HUNDRED. _Hadam._ 1 'villanus' of 1 virgate. 18 'villani,' each of ½ virgate. 7 'cotarii' of ½ virgate (_i.e._ together). IN THE TWO HUNDREDS OF BRADEUTRE. _Hatfield._ 18 'villani' each of 1 virgate. The priest of ½ hide. 4 'homines' of 4 hides (_i.e._ a hide each). IN ODESEIE HUNDRED. _Chyllessella._ 2 villani of ½ hide (_i.e._ 1 virgate each). 10 villani of 5 virgates (_i.e._ ½ virgate each). 9 bordarii of 1 virgate (_i.e._ together). 7 servi. «In the Fen Country.»